Q&A
Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour, Robin Wright
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Source: Getty
In The Media
A Moment of Opportunity in U.S.-Iranian Relations?
While Iranian president Hassan Rouhani represents the popular opinion of a population that wants to be integrated with the outside world, the main levers of power in Iran are all controlled by the office of the Supreme Leader.
Published on Jan 9, 2015
Source: KCRW’s To The Point
Speaking to KCRW’s To The Point, Carnegie’s Karim Sadjadpour argued that while Iranian president Hassan Rouhani overwhelmingly represents the popular opinion of a population that wants to be integrated with the outside world, the main levers of power in Iran are all controlled by the office of the Supreme Leader.
Sadjadpour went on to note that Rouhani has never directly challenged the Supreme Leader. “I think it was a brave piece of political theater, Rouhani threatening this idea of a referendum,” he said, “but it was just that. It was political theater. I don’t think this reflects a true battle for power taking place in Iran.”
About the Author
Karim Sadjadpour
Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
Karim Sadjadpour is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on Iran and U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East.
- What’s Keeping the Iranian Regime in Power—for Now
- How Washington and Tehran Are Assessing Their Next StepsQ&A
Aaron David Miller, David Petraeus, Karim Sadjadpour
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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